Senate 21 race may pivot on who can get things done

The two Nashville Democrats running to represent Senate District 21 agree on a lot, from the need for Medicaid expansion to the importance of speaking up for working-class people in a Republican-dominated legislature.

"Whoever wins this election is likely to be the most progressive member of the state Senate," said attorney Jeff Yarbro, one of the two candidates competing for the Democratic nomination in the Aug. 7 primary.

Where Yarbro and his opponent, Mary Mancini, differ is on the question of who can do the most with that platform, a position within a party caucus that could meet in a minivan. Mancini says she has represented working people as a consumer advocate and knows their struggles firsthand as a former temp worker and small-business owner.

Mary Mancini(Photo: Submitted)

"I've been doing it," she said. "So really all I'm looking to do is switch roles, become a state senator and do that same advocacy work on the inside."

But Yarbro, who ran unsuccessfully for the seat four years ago, says he's better equipped to persuade moderate Republicans to join forces with Democrats in coalitions that can make things happen.

Mancini and Yarbro are seeking to replace retiring state Sen. Douglas Henry, who has held the office since 1970. Henry defeated Yarbro by 17 votes in the 2010 primary.

Three Republicans — Mwafaq Aljabbary, Diana Cuellar and Quincy McKnight — also are running, though none is given much chance of winning the heavily Democratic, serpentine district.

Yarbro, 37, said all those neighborhoods are connected by their struggles with growth, from maintaining affordable housing to dealing with traffic, and by the civic engagement of residents who are ready to "play a more active role in state government."

"But they need a leader to help bring them in," he said.

Jeff Yarbro(Photo: Submitted)

He said he can do that better because Mancini has been more focused on "mobilizing Democrats to oppose the Republicans in the General Assembly."

"Having watched the legislature for the last few years, I can assure you that I'm going to be opposing them a great deal," Yarbro said. "But that's not enough. We also have to have someone who's going to try to get things done, try to get better laws enacted, try to stop bad laws from being enacted. That requires more than mobilizing people that agree with you."

Working-class values

But Mancini, 51, said those goals aren't mutually exclusive. She said she wants to partner with GOP legislators when they have good ideas, such as House Speaker Beth Harwell's call for a 12-hour mandatory minimum jail hold for domestic violence suspects.

But the first-time candidate said she would speak loudly against the lawmakers whose proposals tend to provide punch lines for late-night comedians. She wants to lead the charge to change the General Assembly's priorities, working to raise the state's minimum wage and provide more access to health care.

"As long as we have senators like Brian Kelsey and Mae Beavers and Stacey Campfield sort of dominating the conversation and dictating what we talk about, I'm running for office to stop them," Mancini said. "There are more important priorities. We need to focus on the needs of Tennesseans rather than the wants of large corporations and special interests.

"What's the alternative? Not doing anything? That's not an option for me, and it's not an option for the people that are struggling out here. This isn't a political game. I'll have a voice, and the effect will be shining a light on what's going on up there."

Yarbro, who met his wife while working on former Vice President Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign, also speaks in terms of Republicans playing games. In fact, the image he invokes is a group of 5-year-olds playing soccer, endlessly chasing the ball in a pack and failing to accomplish anything.

He says he sees people struggling because they don't have the kind of health care that Medicaid expansion could provide. Jobs, and even some hospitals, are at stake because of Republicans' opposition to the Affordable Care Act and President Barack Obama, he said.

"The consequences for Tennessee are too grave for the politics to carry the day. This isn't theoretical or TV politics. I talk to voters every day who don't have health insurance."

Having fun

Mancini, who used to own a record store on Church Street, has brought a rock 'n' roll spirit to her campaign and its fundraising efforts, which often rely on small donations that simply cover the price of a ticket to a club show. Her 20 interns don't get paid, but they're essentially attending a summer politics camp, with movie nights and "taco Tuesdays" when they aren't drumming up votes.

Both candidates say they're having a lot of fun. But only one will get to continue after Aug. 7.

Reach Michael Cass at 615-259-8838 and on Twitter @tnmetro.

Senate District 21

The district winds from Madison through Inglewood and East Nashville; moves south and east to Woodbine, Antioch, Cane Ridge and the airport area; and then heads west to Woodland-in-Waverly, 12South, Hillsboro Village, Sylvan Park, The Nations and the White Bridge Road area.

Democratic primary

Mary Mancini, 51, of Nashville

Mancini worked in the music industry and owned a record shop on Church Street before getting involved in politics. Most recently, she was executive director of Tennessee Citizen Action.

Aljabbary is a transportation planner and past president of the Salahadeen Center in Nashville. He helped start Kurdish Achievers, a group that works with Kurdish teens, and is a member of the city's New Americans Advisory Council.

Cuellar is a financial adviser and board member of Latinos for Tennessee, a group that says its mission is to provide the Latino community with information on issues of "faith, family, freedom and fiscal responsibility."